Despite fears of an international boycott of Israeli goods due to the ongoing Gaza war, the latest figures reveal that the sales of Israeli wines worldwide are actually on the rise.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that the war, which has spread from the southern border to the north, has over the past year caused immeasurable damage to the Israeli wine industry.
Israeli wineries, many of which are located close to the border of Hezbollah-controlled south Lebanon, are facing non-stop drone and rocket fire. Some wineries are now closed military zones, while others have no workers to harvest the grapes.
The attacks cause massive fires on a near-daily basis, scorching agricultural lands, including vineyards. Many northern wineries have been forced to shut their visitors centers, accounting for major losses in revenue.
With holiday season around the corner, ISRAEL21c has compiled a list of wineries that have been seriously affected by the current war, and will greatly benefit from your support:
1. Dalton Winery
This winery, located six miles from the Lebanon border, has already been hit by Hezbollah projectiles, and nearly 10 percent of its vineyards are now closed military zones.
Dalton owner Alex Haruni told ISRAEL21c back in June that many employees were evacuated from their homes, while the visitors center was shut down.
“I always prepare the winery as if we’re not coming back tomorrow,” he said.
2. Tulip Winery
This winery is located in Kfar Tikva, a small village for residents with special needs near Mount Carmel National Park. While the village sits relatively far from the Lebanon border, the majority of the winery’s vineyards are in the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights.
Roy Itzhaki, CEO of Tulip Winery, recently said that at least 74 dunams (11.6 acres) of its vineyards in the Upper Galilee and 100 dunams (24.7 acres) in the Golan have already been destroyed by Hezbollah attacks.
He said it will take at least two years to rehabilitate the area.
3. Uriel Winery
This winery is one of the few situated near the Gaza border that remained operational following the October 7 attacks.
Located near Sderot, where 50 civilians and 20 police officers were murdered by Hamas, the winery and its vineyards miraculously remained unscathed.
The winery’s owner, 63-year-old Uri Akian, said that at the start of the war in Gaza he was hearing explosions non-stop. Still, he never once thought about closing up shop.
“There is no chance I will leave Sderot,” he said.
4. Pelter Winery
This winery, located in Kibbutz Ein Zivan in the northern Golan Heights just 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the Lebanon border, has also been hit by Hezbollah fire since the start of the war.
One of its vineyards was also accidentally hit by an artillery shell fired by the Israeli army.
The winery’s visitor center remains open. However, Pelter Winery CEO Gal Yaniv admits that over the past 12 months it has remained practically empty.
5. Galil Mountain Winery
This winery is situated right across from the border with Lebanon, near Kibbutz Yiron in the Upper Galilee.
Those who stayed to work at the winery need approval from the military each time they enter the vineyards. As a result, work on the vineyards is being conducted only a few short hours a day.
Chief winemaker David Bar Ilan said the vineyards over the past year have sustained hits by drones, rockets, anti-tank missiles and non-stop fires.
6. Mika Winery
This winery in the village of Natur in the southern Golan Heights is located closer to the Syrian border than to the Lebanese one, which has allowed the winery to continue operations in relative peace.
However, as fears of an all-out war with Hezbollah grow stronger, whatever stability the winery has been fortunate enough to enjoy may be gone soon.
Or Yosef Ran, brother of Mika’s owner and winemaker Mika Ran Mandel, was killed in battle on October 7. He commanded a special military unit.
7. Underdog Winery
Among the wineries affected are not only those damaged physically. For instance, Dror Engelstein, who owns Underdog Winery, was called up for reserve duty on October 8, and served six long months before he could return to civilian life.
Engelstein, 41, relied on friends and a few employees to take care of the winery while he was away. He was forced to scrap planting of new grape types, while running the business from a command center in Gaza.
The winery is located in Moshav Givat Yeshayahu, 10 km (six miles) south of Beit Shemesh.
If you would like to purchase other Israeli wines abroad, click here.